Hardware refers to the physical elements of a computer. This is also sometime called the machinery or the equipment of the computer. Examples of hardware in a computer are the keyboard, the monitor, the mouse and the central processing unit.
The FOID card is issued by the Illinois State Police, who first perform a check of the applicant on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), an electronic database maintained by the FBI.
Illinois law requires that, when a firearm is sold by a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder, or at a gun show, the seller perform a dial-up inquiry to the State Police to verify that the buyer's FOID card is valid.